If you had to restart collecting model trains...

I started my layout 33.5 years ago with a plan.  I stuck to the plan and if I was starting over today, I would do everything the same.

Marty, That must have a sound, well thought out plan.

Would you mind sharing it?

It's likely that your tastes have stayed essentially the same over that amount of time, right?

As far as the original idea about collecting, I always bought

-the cheapest things, or at least the inexpensive things

-only what I liked, not what everyone else liked

-broken stuff that was cheap, but I could fix

-avoided buying whatever was the hot collectible at the time

-the other brands - no Lionel until years later.

I would probably follow the same path nowadays, but collecting is different now. Once the books get published, everyone is an instant expert. It's different than learning things as you go along. Not saying the books are a bad idea, far from that, they are a great boon to the hobby in many ways. But a collecting hobby changes when the books come out. The same thing happened with the old radio hobby. So, since collecting is different now, I really can't be sure how a reboot would play out.

Would probably go the same way I've gone, but with the following exceptions:

• Except for big steam, would have purchased all scale-wheeled locomotives.
• Would have gone to Kadees sooner.
• Would more strictly limit purchases to CNW and ATSF. Would have still bought the UP Heritage units and certain demonstrator units.
• Despite the vehement objections of the "Secretary of the Interior", would have a small layout in the house.

Hi Tim

     I am not sure I want to do things over, but I just finished watching this video from "York", as I watched, I wonder if I have to much technology on my layout.     

     When I started my layout there was no technology, like Lionel Legacy, MTH / DCS, Wi - Fi APPS for smart phones or LionChief Plus.

     This company in the video, is all conventional operations, and this sounds good to me, when I get frustrated with to much technology.

Take a look at the video, and pass it on.

Gary - Cheers from The Detroit and Mackinac Railway, "A Toy Train Layout".

* A Public Video on You Tube.

Tim, aren't you in your teens or 20s? If not, I apologize, but if you are, you're way too young to talk about re-starting anything.

Just sayin'...

But as for me, I was waiting for many years for someone to make affordable ET&WNC ten-wheelers in a manageable scale. I was off and running as soon as Bachmann did just that and I haven't regretted it one day, since getting back into the hobby since I left it in disgust in the 90s...

If starting all over, I'd go strictly Standard Gauge.

Steve

If I could start over I would do large scale and stick with it exclusively. I'd buy much less RTR product and scratchbuild most of what I need, other than a few of the very high end 1/32 brass steam locos.

I'd also date Jennifer Love Hewitt and drive a Ferrari.

Then I'd wake up and go about my lifelong rubber-gauging ways...

Jeff C

If I were starting over from scratch, I would go with S scale.  There is so much more available now than there was years ago, and it's even better now that MTH is offering S scale locos with DCS.  I would be able to get a lot more railroad in the space I have.

I would have either have...,

1. Gone into HO because it is smaller. Buy every MTH HO engine that is available.

Or.....

2. Stayed in O scale but not have collected "junk" which I now have to sell to get "O scale."

Just my 2 cents,

Nickstrains.

I was not into trains until the 90s (my dad was a pilot and planes were our thing).  Playing with toy trains with my father-in-law got me interested and he was a hard core Penny man.  When I inherited his trains I stayed with the Pennsy.

If I was to start over, I'd go with West Coast roads.  I grew up in California and that is what I saw, plus they are more colorful. I'd stay with my late 40s era.

Yeah, she's off the chart! 

I'd go 2 rail O Scale.  Never look back.

Plan to model UP Sherman Hill area with a layout...someday

I actually started with AF postwar "S", much of which I still have. My "O" layout is only 5x8, and I have NO desire for a larger one. Money is now no object, but my average spending at York is $80.

IF I had the money to boot, G scale is appealing.

But, with my O, I might just tighten up my theme a little.

And, no 0-27 or the like cars!

If starting over, I probably would not do this again.

I think I would just work on the 1:1 stuff.

The 1225 is about an hour from my house and it would be fun to get my hands dirty again.

I'm actually going to have to make this choice in the near future. My old layout had to come down due to a temporary need for more living space. I somewhat welcomed this because I started to become bored with my layout and trains, as my tastes started to wander away from realism and more towards a postwar-style layout with minimal scenery, and maximum loud, colorful operating accessories. I didn't start until the early 90s and was influenced by the equipment that was new then. But for me, the novelty of my TMCC engines and their features has worn off and I want to once again have a simple layout, with simple problems to solve. I want to relax with my layout, not become frustrated by the problems associated with complex electronics. I know others enjoy it, but that's not me. I've become more the nostalgic type and find myself looking backward in this hobby, not forward. I'm even toying with the idea of a tinplate-only layout, as I have a single standard gauge set which has so far only been run under the Christmas tree. Whatever I do, I find myself re-invigorated with enthusiasm, as I envision benchwork and track plan options. A blank pallet can be a great jump start.  

I wanted a layout with perfect L Girder bench work.  I wanted it to be covered with 5/8 quality plywood and cover the plywood with glued and screwed Homosote.  I wanted an around the room layout with good track work and heavy wiring.  I did all that.  I had a long range plan to build operating catenary designed to look like something Lionel might have made in the 50's.  As a kid growing up next to the PRR main line I was always bothered with the Lionel G with the pans in the air and no wire to touch.  People always ask me what I would change and my reply is NOTHING.  I am happy with my toy train layout.   My pans run off live wire and run well.

I'm only 15, so this is more like a "what do you want to do in the future?" I want to model the route out of Connellsville, Pa to Cumberland, Md over Sand Patch grade set in the B&O/WM/Chessie era from about 1963 to 1982 or so. I want to model both the B&O and WM main lines. Hopefully this future can become a reality within the next few years!

Steve,

Been there..done that! It's the only way to go.

Its timely that I came across this topic as I just poised a scenario that I am facing.  This might be the time that I look back and think why did I or why didn't I do that.  I wouldn't change the theme or what I run but just having more space would be a wonderful thing.  Seeing all my autocarriers in a long line running down a 35ft mainline would be awesome; instead of seeing them kind of chase itself.  Having a storage yard instead of having to take and replace trains as I want to run them would be something I would enjoy.  Its not that I didn't plan on that in the beginning it was just that space was not available at the time, but it may be now.  So to answer your question I wouldn't change what I have but I would add more to it.

"The books" is mentioned above.  If I could go back into the eighties (uh, NINETEEN

eighties) when I got back into three rail, and know what I know now from the books,

I'd be a lot less tight-walleted about buying all the different upscale Marx sets I

missed out on and now am still too tight-wallleted to spring for, at their much higher prices, if I even see them for sale.  They would just sit on shelves. My orientation toward high rail, three rail scale in O, for the layout, was right on target and has not changed, nor has the region and railroads I prefer and model.

I agree with Jim S.  I've had Lionel classic O sized stuff all my life & have lately begun to tire of it, & its space limitations.  For the past 2-3 years, I have been dabbling into traditional S- American Flyer.  It is a nice change of pace, the proportion is better & there is more to work with if you are limited on space like I am. 

No tech. No boards.  I would control with a postwar ZW with a handle.  No modern engines except WBB.  I would have several engines and a small amount of rolling stock.  I would do a toy train layout that was fun not "scale".  Now as I near retirement I have a basement stuffed with high tech Chinese stuff that is worth pennies on the dollar.  I would start and keep simple...in a minute.

I would go S gauge because you can do more in a smaller space and the 2 rail is more realistic. S is the perfect size....not to big and not too small.

Space (the final frontier) is my biggest problem, we have an old house is Seattle that has half the basement devoted to garage. If I had unlimited funds I change that some for a place with a larger basement and a separate garage.

I primarily operate post war, it's the stuff I had as a kid, some of it actually a lot of it, is the stuff from my childhood. I'm not tight on this there are a few modern pieces but they operate on conventional transformers like everything else.

O27 fits my area which is a 12 by 14 bookshelf style layout at one end of the basement. I use O72 curves so they chew up a lot of space but the trains look better on these wide curves. I have some O scale size a 773, 2333, and a Williams FA/FB/FA Alco, and a Lionel pair of 2349s I love running them; but the O27 fits the small layout better.

I have a 50th anno yellow UP 2323 passenger set to which I've added the Lionel expansion cars and a Williams dome car (talk about different yellow). I converted the unpowered A unit to powered, not that more power was  needed but even with magna traction the single powered FA had traction problems.

I always wanted an 872 as a kid but never got one, as an adult I picked up  the 1980's era O27 6200 in Brunswick green to that I added a Lionel 6 car consist in Pennsylvania Tuscan colors to which I added the gold striping used on the Train of Futurism, it makes a sharp looking train.

With unlimited funds I probably build more sets that I thought Lionel should have but didn’t.

Bogie

That has some serious merit, Steve!!! 

The one element that keeps one foot in O-Gauge for me is my late Dad started me in O-Gauge back in 1966.  The nostalgic tug is too strong, and I wish he were still with me to see the next stage of what he started decades ago develop into a multi-gauge O/Standard Gauge dream layout.  Come to think of it, he'll probably have a pretty good view of it anyway!    I just won't have him with me here to share it. 

David

David,

Don't have doubts, I'm sure that he would be looking over your shoulder.

p51, on the contrary, I think its is a good idea that someone in the early stages, like Tim, consults with we "old timers" to learn our regrets & mistakes... & hopefully help him avoid repeating them.

 

Originally Posted by p51:

Tim, aren't you in your teens or 20s?  If not, I apologize, but if you are, you're way too young to talk about re-starting anything.

 

I meant he couldn't possibly be too far along not to change directions, at that age. learning from others, I get, but I can't see anyone in their 20s being too committed to change directions...

This topic hits home with me as I'm about halfway done tearing down my layout in order to build a new one.   It was nice but is was a naive hack-job.  Did I sit down and plan things before I started?  Nope.  Operating accessories where they can be easily reached? Not me.   How about the same for switches? Not a chance.

This time I'm letting my OCD run rampant and will be planning the new layout down to the last screw. 

--Greg

Nothing.  I just wish I'd had more money in the old days.

If I could start over I would only buy scale equipment. I doubt I would model a real rail line as I don't really have the space. If I did it would be the Southern's Asheville Division, with the focus on an accurately modeled Saluda grade. That would be an awesome layout!

I run o scale trains, and I love every aspect of them, but if I was starting over I might consider going HO...for no other reason than I could accomplish a lot more with the space I have.

As far as collecting there's nothing modern worth collecting in my book. The modern more advanced engines of today are made to be runners and theyre like cars as they loose value the minute you drive them off the lot. These engines are made more for immediate pleasure rather than collecting.

If you want a heads up on collecting I suggest you focus on pre war Lionel O and standard gauge. Find you a few scarce pieces and you've got money in the bank.

I'd go more towards prewar. Mostly tin which would include some early postwar stuff. Mainly stick with O-gauge, but might get a little standard gauge to run on the floor at Christmas. All old school "real deal" stuff, no reproductions. Well, no repro engines anyway, maybe a car or two.

SAME THING ONLY BIGGER

Interesting question. I consider myself a part timer, mostly around Christmastime I have something up. Over the years I got the steam post war set out, ran it around the tree and everyone was happy.

Then in the 80's I bought a diesel set, it had a horn. Then a RailSounds set. Then TMCC, then Legacy.

Now there's LionChief, LionChief Plus, smooth sine and chopped sine transformers and so on.

I know I'm not 25 anymore, but being a part timer the hobby is almost moving faster than I can keep up since I don't spend near as much time devoted to this as some of you. Add in to that the displeasure of smoke fans not working, boards going bad on newer equipment and other electronic issues and it almost gets frustrating. I do enjoy the new gadgetry, but I expect it to work flawlessly all the time.

Yes there are days I wish I would have stuck with that one postwar set and let it go at that.

this happened to me I developed cancer and then I was going through that I got divorced in order to keep my house and pay my doctor bills I had to sell my collection I collected it since I was 5yrs old it took 2 trailer loads to get it out of my house so when I was able to start again there were pieces I had to have again but I also decided that it wasn't how many pieces you have its a place were I could run them so with the help of many friends and family I took a different approach I looked at the layout more and collecting less I can always go back to collecting but it was the layout and the creativity that was more fun so if I could start with the first piece to start with it was the Lionel western mayland shay in my old collection I had 3 of them and it was one I missed now that it has been 3 years into the creation of my layout and I am healthy I can say running it was really more fun then it sitting on a shelf